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Delphi Masters of Art #5
Delphi Collected Works of J.M.W. Turner (Illustrated)
Renowned as ‘the painter of light’, the English Romanticist J. M. W. Turner elevated landscape painting to an art form that rivalled history painting. Although renowned for his oil paintings, Turner is also one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscape painting. This is the fifth volume of a new series of publications by Delphi Classics, the best-selling publisher of classical works. A first of its kind in digital print, the ‘Masters of Art’ series allows Kindle readers to explore the works of the world’s greatest artists in comprehensive detail. This volume presents hundreds of oil and watercolour paintings of Britain's most celebrated artist J. M. W. Turner. For all art lovers, this stunning collection presents a beautiful feast of images by the great Romantic Master. * over 360 oil paintings, indexed and arranged in chronological order * a selection of over 190 watercolours, indexed and arranged in chronological order * special ‘Highlights’ section, with concise introductions to the masterpieces, giving valuable contextual information * learn about the history of 'The Fighting Temeraire' and other famous works in clear, but scholarly detail. * beautiful 'detail' images, allowing you to 'zoom in' and explore Turner's most famous paintings * numerous images relating to Turner’s life, places and works * learn about the great artist's life in William Cosmo Monkhouse's famous biography * hundreds of images in stunning colour - highly recommended for Kindle Fire, iPhone and iPad users, or as a valuable reference tool on traditional Kindles The Highlights FISHERMEN AT SEA BUTTERMERE LAKE, WITH PART OF CROMACKWATER, A SHOWER SELF PORTRAIT, 1799 THE FALL OF AN AVALANCHE IN THE GRISONS SNOW HANNIBAL AND HIS ARMY CROSSING THE ALPS BONNEVILLE, SAVOY WITH MONT BLANC THE SHIPWRECK DIDO BUILDING CARTHAGE THE BURNING OF THE HOUSES OF LORDS AND COMMONS ULYSSES DERIDING POLYPHEMUS PEACE — BURIAL AT SEA THE FIGHTING TEMERAIRE SHADE AND DARKNESS - THE EVENING OF THE DELUGE THE SLAVE SHIP RAIN, STEAM AND SPEED - THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY SNOWSTORM - STEAM-BOAT OFF A HARBOUR’S MOUTH LANDSCAPE WITH DISTANT RIVER AND BAY A DISASTER AT SEA NORHAM CASTLE SUNRISE The Oil Paintings THE OIL PAINTINGS ALPHABETICAL LIST OF OIL PAINTINGS The Watercolour Paintings THE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS ALPHABETICAL LIST OF WATERCOLOURS The Biography TURNER by William Cosmo Monkhouse
- GenresArtNonfiction
1040 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2014
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About the author
J.M.W. Turner
275 books6 followersJoseph Mallord William Turner, RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, water-colourist, and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting. Although renowned for his oil paintings, Turner is also one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscape painting. He is commonly known as "the painter of light" and his work is regarded as a Romantic preface to Impressionism. Some of his works are cited as examples of abstract art prior to its recognition in the early twentieth century.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 6, 2022
I love looking at Turner 's paintings for his ability to show us nature and humans bound together, especially the ships that battle the elements. He is more a landscape and outside painter and rarely if people are present they are impressionistic. You see his change into using impression art late 1820's. This vast collection besides having a certain amount of focused paintings with comments, it has the chronological list and you see the changes. Not being really clear before thinking I did not care for impressionistic art, but not knowing what it really meant. I suppose there are some forms of modern art I do not care for but Turner and Monet, I love their paintings and after I see more artists, I will judge as I go. I like Van Gogh but prefer Turner to him. At present I am reading Van Gogh's letters and after I will comment on his paintings. Turner shows us the beauty, awe, majesty and terror of nature which I can look at his works and feel myself aboard the doomed ship. As I was reading Elizabeth Goudge's The Green Dolphin, I imagined Turner's sea and the Green Dolphin in my mind. I also enjoyed when I run across painters names mentioned in my reads, and Turner was mentioned in Marcel Proust's Swann's Way. I was so happy to read something and have a further understanding of story and the author's thoughts because of my recent delving into master artists. This series wets the whistle for novices like me, that want to see and learn a little. I will put this back into the "to read" shelf, in case I want to read the biographies which I did not but might!
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I quoted several things I deemed interesting; how he help change attitudes about slave trade and his portrait help change history; his witness of events that he showed through his artistic eyes.
"J. M. W. Turner is regarded by many as Britain’s greatest artist, whose works have become iconic symbols of the Romantic art movement. He became known as ‘the painter of light’, due to his increasing interest in brilliant colours and the contrast between light and dark in his many landscapes and seascapes. Turner was born on 23 April 1775 in London. His father, William Turner (1745-1829), was a barber and wig maker and his mother, Mary Marshall, came from a family of butchers. In 1785, his mother suffered from severe mental illness and was admitted first to St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics in Old Street in 1799 and then Bethlem Hospital in 1800, where she died four years later."
"SELF PORTRAIT, 1799 In this early self portrait we can note the subtle blend of light and dark, illuminating the face of the young twenty-four year old artist. Dating from around 1799, the painting was most likely intended to mark Turner’s election as a full member of the Royal Academy, a momentous occasion for any aspiring artist. This meant that he could now exhibit his works on the walls of the Academy without fear of rejection by any members of the committee. Despite his relative youth, Turner had already made a name for himself as an original, accomplished painter with the technical abilities of someone many years more experienced. He had been described in London newspapers as an artist that ‘seems thoroughly to understand the mode of adjusting and applying his various materials’ and ‘their effect in oil or on paper is equally sublime’. The portrait, which is now housed in Tate Britain, depicts a confident young man, who stares assertively at the viewer, hinting at his ambitions and skilled abilities as an artist. "
"During an interlude of peace in 1802, a consortium of patrons clubbed together to send Turner to Paris, in order to study in the Louvre. To begin with, he embarked on a tour of the Alps, whose sublime beauty and constant climatic change taught the young artist the awesome scale and mutability of nature. The Alpine tour resulted in some spectacular watercolours and oil paintings. Although he never witnessed an avalanche himself, an account of a devastating one in the Grisons prompted Turner to create the following painting in 1810. The tragic event occurred at Selva, killing twenty-five people. The canvas depicts huge rocks, driven before the weight of snow, crashing down upon a small chalet. Turner opted to portray not a single human figure, concentrating on the unparalleled might of nature instead."
" The painting depicts the Carthaginian leader Hannibal’s invasion of Italy in 218 B.C. Hannibal’s army, stretched across the bottom of the canvas, is approaching the rocky landscape and is about to be engulfed in an approaching storm. At the time of composition, Turner was interested in the recent war between France and the surrounding countries. Noting a parallel between Hannibal and Napoleon, who had crossed the Alps to invade Italy in 1797, the artist uses the storm to symbolise the downfall of empires past and present, perhaps even giving a warning against Britain’s thirst for power. Here, as in many of his other works, Turner identifies both nature and history as powerful forces against human accomplishment. "
"Napoleon, about to lead his armies across the St Bernard Pass, by the French neo-classical artist Jacques-Louis David. However, Turner’s painting does not celebrate the power of the individual, but instead suggests man’s vulnerability in the face of nature’s supreme force;"
"Turner completed two oil paintings depicting the fire that broke out at the Houses of Parliament on the evening of 16 October, 1834. The artist himself witnessed the event from the south bank of the River Thames, opposite Westminster. He made sketches using both pencil and watercolour in two sketchbooks from different viewpoints, including one from a rented boat". "
"First exhibited in 1840, Turner was inspired to create this harrowing work after reading The History and Abolition of the Slave Trade by Thomas Clarkson. In 1781 the captain of the slave ship Zong had ordered 133 slaves to be thrown overboard, in order to qualify for insurance payments. This event inspired Turner to produce The Slave Ship in time for an important meeting of the British Anti-Slavery Society. Although slavery was illegal in the British Empire since 1833, this gathering was called by abolitionists striving to outlaw slavery across the world. Therefore, Turner exhibited his painting during the anti-slavery conference, intending for the Crown Prince Albert, who was speaking at the event, to be encouraged to increase British anti-slavery efforts. To accompany the piece, Turner provided these words from his own untitled poem: “Aloft all hands, strike the top-masts and belay; Yon angry setting sun and fierce-edged clouds Declare the Typhon’s coming. Before it sweeps your decks, throw overboard The dead and dying - ne’er heed their chains Hope, Hope, fallacious Hope! Where is thy market now?” Two years after the meeting, a new law was passed in which the British Empire pledged to suppress slavery more effectively. Once that law had been enforced, a surge of anti-slavery laws from many other Atlantic countries followed, dramatically diminishing the slave trade worldwide""
There are too many favorites from his profuse paintings to name all but here are a few.
-The Eruption of the Souffrier Mountains, in the Island of St. Vincent, at Midnight
-The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons, 16th October 1834
-Sunset
💖
I quoted several things I deemed interesting; how he help change attitudes about slave trade and his portrait help change history; his witness of events that he showed through his artistic eyes.
"J. M. W. Turner is regarded by many as Britain’s greatest artist, whose works have become iconic symbols of the Romantic art movement. He became known as ‘the painter of light’, due to his increasing interest in brilliant colours and the contrast between light and dark in his many landscapes and seascapes. Turner was born on 23 April 1775 in London. His father, William Turner (1745-1829), was a barber and wig maker and his mother, Mary Marshall, came from a family of butchers. In 1785, his mother suffered from severe mental illness and was admitted first to St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics in Old Street in 1799 and then Bethlem Hospital in 1800, where she died four years later."
"SELF PORTRAIT, 1799 In this early self portrait we can note the subtle blend of light and dark, illuminating the face of the young twenty-four year old artist. Dating from around 1799, the painting was most likely intended to mark Turner’s election as a full member of the Royal Academy, a momentous occasion for any aspiring artist. This meant that he could now exhibit his works on the walls of the Academy without fear of rejection by any members of the committee. Despite his relative youth, Turner had already made a name for himself as an original, accomplished painter with the technical abilities of someone many years more experienced. He had been described in London newspapers as an artist that ‘seems thoroughly to understand the mode of adjusting and applying his various materials’ and ‘their effect in oil or on paper is equally sublime’. The portrait, which is now housed in Tate Britain, depicts a confident young man, who stares assertively at the viewer, hinting at his ambitions and skilled abilities as an artist. "
"During an interlude of peace in 1802, a consortium of patrons clubbed together to send Turner to Paris, in order to study in the Louvre. To begin with, he embarked on a tour of the Alps, whose sublime beauty and constant climatic change taught the young artist the awesome scale and mutability of nature. The Alpine tour resulted in some spectacular watercolours and oil paintings. Although he never witnessed an avalanche himself, an account of a devastating one in the Grisons prompted Turner to create the following painting in 1810. The tragic event occurred at Selva, killing twenty-five people. The canvas depicts huge rocks, driven before the weight of snow, crashing down upon a small chalet. Turner opted to portray not a single human figure, concentrating on the unparalleled might of nature instead."
" The painting depicts the Carthaginian leader Hannibal’s invasion of Italy in 218 B.C. Hannibal’s army, stretched across the bottom of the canvas, is approaching the rocky landscape and is about to be engulfed in an approaching storm. At the time of composition, Turner was interested in the recent war between France and the surrounding countries. Noting a parallel between Hannibal and Napoleon, who had crossed the Alps to invade Italy in 1797, the artist uses the storm to symbolise the downfall of empires past and present, perhaps even giving a warning against Britain’s thirst for power. Here, as in many of his other works, Turner identifies both nature and history as powerful forces against human accomplishment. "
"Napoleon, about to lead his armies across the St Bernard Pass, by the French neo-classical artist Jacques-Louis David. However, Turner’s painting does not celebrate the power of the individual, but instead suggests man’s vulnerability in the face of nature’s supreme force;"
"Turner completed two oil paintings depicting the fire that broke out at the Houses of Parliament on the evening of 16 October, 1834. The artist himself witnessed the event from the south bank of the River Thames, opposite Westminster. He made sketches using both pencil and watercolour in two sketchbooks from different viewpoints, including one from a rented boat". "
"First exhibited in 1840, Turner was inspired to create this harrowing work after reading The History and Abolition of the Slave Trade by Thomas Clarkson. In 1781 the captain of the slave ship Zong had ordered 133 slaves to be thrown overboard, in order to qualify for insurance payments. This event inspired Turner to produce The Slave Ship in time for an important meeting of the British Anti-Slavery Society. Although slavery was illegal in the British Empire since 1833, this gathering was called by abolitionists striving to outlaw slavery across the world. Therefore, Turner exhibited his painting during the anti-slavery conference, intending for the Crown Prince Albert, who was speaking at the event, to be encouraged to increase British anti-slavery efforts. To accompany the piece, Turner provided these words from his own untitled poem: “Aloft all hands, strike the top-masts and belay; Yon angry setting sun and fierce-edged clouds Declare the Typhon’s coming. Before it sweeps your decks, throw overboard The dead and dying - ne’er heed their chains Hope, Hope, fallacious Hope! Where is thy market now?” Two years after the meeting, a new law was passed in which the British Empire pledged to suppress slavery more effectively. Once that law had been enforced, a surge of anti-slavery laws from many other Atlantic countries followed, dramatically diminishing the slave trade worldwide""
There are too many favorites from his profuse paintings to name all but here are a few.
-The Eruption of the Souffrier Mountains, in the Island of St. Vincent, at Midnight
-The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons, 16th October 1834
-Sunset
October 26, 2023
Absolutely fantastic artwork with beautiful color work. But I also really enjoyed seeing his line art for his landscapes. I'm a sucker for lineart landscapes in comics so I was just imagining some of this stuff in comics...
A name I wasn't very familiar with although I now know he's very well known. I'll have to seek out some of his work in museums, I'm sure its spectacular in person.
A name I wasn't very familiar with although I now know he's very well known. I'll have to seek out some of his work in museums, I'm sure its spectacular in person.
July 16, 2024
Comprehensive but unfortunately very low-quality collection of Joseph Mallord William Turner's artwork. Overall, his work in watercolor and especially oil is amazing.
The collection includes a short section highlighting the work of Turner, then proceeds through the chronologically ordered collection of all (?) oils, followed by all (?) watercolors. Especially for the larger paintings there are zoom-ins on the most expressive areas. Unfortunately, possibly to keep the file size manageable, the quality of each reproduction is very poor.
The material further includes two very early biographies of Turner, archive.org grade.
What I'd love to see is this material with high quality reproductions, better editorial hand, and some introduction to each (major) work.
The collection includes a short section highlighting the work of Turner, then proceeds through the chronologically ordered collection of all (?) oils, followed by all (?) watercolors. Especially for the larger paintings there are zoom-ins on the most expressive areas. Unfortunately, possibly to keep the file size manageable, the quality of each reproduction is very poor.
The material further includes two very early biographies of Turner, archive.org grade.
What I'd love to see is this material with high quality reproductions, better editorial hand, and some introduction to each (major) work.
October 25, 2021
“The whole world without Art would be one great wilderness.”
August 28, 2024
A complete collection of Turner’s works, some of which are powerful and memorable.
One of the easy to notice themes throughout the artist's output is contrast: dark vs light, powerful nature vs perishable humans, busy vs empty.
If I thought Constable was sometimes adding the ‘how it is to see’ quality to his images, Turner takes it a notch higher. Especially in his middle and late creative period, we get images of subtle tones and nondescript shapes that strike me as almost abstract. For instance, see Jason, Death on a Pale Horse, Three Seascapes or Breakers on a Flat Beach. And yet, Turner was also able to create delightful and realistic landscapes seen from a creative perspective. For example, see Grenoble Seen from the River Drac with Mont Blanc in the Distance, Bonneville, Savoy, with Mont Blanc or Windsor from Lower Hope.
Having said that, I cannot say I always enjoyed Turner’s colour palette. Works like Peace - Burial at Sea or Cologne, the Arrival of a Packet Boat, Evening seem a little too glossy for my taste. And, in all honesty, I cannot say I was completely convinced by the grandiose compositions in images like Fishing Boats Entering Calais Harbour or The Fifth Plague of Egypt. I suppose it can be argued that the appeal of such images comes from the scale of the vision. I get that for a good reason, things and places that make us feel small compared with the world at large are appreciated. When it comes to painting in this particular case though, I found myself thinking that sometimes less is more.
Nevertheless, one certainly cannot take away technical mastery and ingeniousness from Turner. When all of the elements work with one another in seamless harmony, we get epic yet not overdone pictures such as Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps.
And, at his best Turner was able to portray a sense of atmosphere that can get to you. See Buttermere Lake with Part of Cromackwater, Moonlight: a study at Millbank, Dolbadern Castle, Italian Landscape with a Tower.
Finally, as much as I am happy to admire Turner’s depictions of mountains in Italian Landscape (Civita di Bagnoregio) for example, I am slightly less keen on his many images of ships at sea. I guess this is not much more than a personal preference. What I am trying to say is that, in general, there were more of his works that did not make a lasting impression on me than those that did. I can certainly appreciate Turner and his place in the romantic tradition. And, I see that he was one of the most innovative, creative, and influential painters of his age. Still, I cannot say that Turner has become one of my favourite artists or that I have to read all about his life. I can happily move on, but I am glad for the experience of reading this book.
One of the easy to notice themes throughout the artist's output is contrast: dark vs light, powerful nature vs perishable humans, busy vs empty.
If I thought Constable was sometimes adding the ‘how it is to see’ quality to his images, Turner takes it a notch higher. Especially in his middle and late creative period, we get images of subtle tones and nondescript shapes that strike me as almost abstract. For instance, see Jason, Death on a Pale Horse, Three Seascapes or Breakers on a Flat Beach. And yet, Turner was also able to create delightful and realistic landscapes seen from a creative perspective. For example, see Grenoble Seen from the River Drac with Mont Blanc in the Distance, Bonneville, Savoy, with Mont Blanc or Windsor from Lower Hope.
Having said that, I cannot say I always enjoyed Turner’s colour palette. Works like Peace - Burial at Sea or Cologne, the Arrival of a Packet Boat, Evening seem a little too glossy for my taste. And, in all honesty, I cannot say I was completely convinced by the grandiose compositions in images like Fishing Boats Entering Calais Harbour or The Fifth Plague of Egypt. I suppose it can be argued that the appeal of such images comes from the scale of the vision. I get that for a good reason, things and places that make us feel small compared with the world at large are appreciated. When it comes to painting in this particular case though, I found myself thinking that sometimes less is more.
Nevertheless, one certainly cannot take away technical mastery and ingeniousness from Turner. When all of the elements work with one another in seamless harmony, we get epic yet not overdone pictures such as Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps.
And, at his best Turner was able to portray a sense of atmosphere that can get to you. See Buttermere Lake with Part of Cromackwater, Moonlight: a study at Millbank, Dolbadern Castle, Italian Landscape with a Tower.
Finally, as much as I am happy to admire Turner’s depictions of mountains in Italian Landscape (Civita di Bagnoregio) for example, I am slightly less keen on his many images of ships at sea. I guess this is not much more than a personal preference. What I am trying to say is that, in general, there were more of his works that did not make a lasting impression on me than those that did. I can certainly appreciate Turner and his place in the romantic tradition. And, I see that he was one of the most innovative, creative, and influential painters of his age. Still, I cannot say that Turner has become one of my favourite artists or that I have to read all about his life. I can happily move on, but I am glad for the experience of reading this book.
October 25, 2021
Buttermere Lake, with Part of Cromackwater, a Shower: The canvas is based on a sketchbook study, later worked up in watercolor to portray the stormy conditions, which the artist literally noted down for himself by writing the word ‘Black’ on the surface of the lake. This strong use of black dominates the gloomy mood of the work, which is otherwise enlivened by the rainbow, a frequent motif employed by the artist. It is a work that concerns the power of the Sublime, encouraging the viewer to contemplate Nature’s grandeur.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews